Family First national director Bob McCoskrie speaking at a media conference in 2009. Photo / File
Family First national director Bob McCoskrie speaking at a media conference in 2009. Photo / File
Lobby group Family First has put its support behind a Taupō mother who said she was "horrified" by naked swimmers in the district.
Katrina Payne said 14 naked men and women at a popular swimming spot on Monday night deserved to be fined, after they arrived at Spa Thermal Park, where she swam with her 13-year-old daughter Hollie.
The public reserve is in need of a "g-string ban" according to other concerned Taupō mothers who spoke to NZME earlier this month.
In a public statement, Family First's national director Bob McCoskrie has called on councils "to amend their bylaws to clarify clearly that nudity is banned from public places".
He said: "freedom of expression must never be at the expense of the right to protect children and families from offensive and inappropriate behaviour."
"Public nudity will offend against generally prevailing community standards of decency."
In his opinion: "Most families don't want their children being confronted by naked men and women or 'adult behaviour'... It is not for those families to 'get out of the way'."
Family First national director Bob McCoskrie speaking at a media conference in 2009. Photo / File
"It is also important to note that family nakedness in the home is completely different to stranger nakedness in public... These 'show-ponies' should be told to cover up and do it at home."
Taupō mayor David Tewavas told NZME today councillors hadn't discussed the issue and it was "a matter of the common courtesies of life".
"The town is absolutely jam-packed with people, chock-a-block with visitors at the moment."
Taupō mayor David Tewavas. Photo / File
When Katrina Payne spoke to NZME about her experience on January 20, she said at least six of the 14 naked swimmers she saw were men.
"They were in the water only knee-deep, right in front of my daughter, I just thought it was disgraceful..."
Payne said: "It would just be like people walking around naked in the street, how many people are going to accept that?"
She praised the council for putting in new facilities including "pretty good" changing rooms at the site, however, she also wanted to see signs installed saying "no nudity".
"I think there should be something in place so they get fined."
New Zealand Naturist Federation president Wendy Lowe previously said she had been to the Spa Thermal Park before.
She said the federation would "certainly not support banning nudity" there.
